The Green Party today launched a plan to trial a new twice-daily passenger train from Palmerston North to Napier, while the Manawatū Gorge is closed to road traffic, as well as a commitment to increase funding to reduce fares on the Capital Connection service between Palmerston North and Wellington. “National has let regional rail services rust away but the Greens in government will restore rail as the backbone of New Zealand’s transport system, for freight and for people,” said Green...

The National Government’s tinkering with the Emissions Trading Scheme will do nothing to actually reduce New Zealand’s climate pollution, the Green Party said today. Paula Bennett today announced a series of small changes to the ETS but continues to subsidise major polluters and to exclude agriculture from the scheme. The Minister also failed to lift the cap that keeps the carbon price low. “The Green Party has no faith that the changes announced to the ETS today will have any...

Many New Zealanders are increasingly struggling to pay for the roof over their heads, according to the latest overview of poverty trends, the Green Party said today. New Zealanders on the lowest incomes are now spending 51 percent of their income on housing, up from 29 percent in 1990, according to the latest Bryan Perry Household Incomes Report out today. “Housing costs are eating into families’ budgets at a rate we’ve never seen before,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said...

A study highlighted by Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is even more proof that National’s ‘penal welfare’ approach is failing kids, failing caregivers and failing New Zealand, the Green Party said today.

Paula Bennett's frank admission this morning that the Government should have “in hindsight” taken action on the housing crisis sooner will be of little comfort to the growing number of people who are waiting to get into a state house, the Green Party said today.

The National Government continues to punish beneficiaries and their children by enforcing benefit sanctions, the Green Party said today. The Government’s latest figures show an 8.2 percent increase in benefit sanctions than this time last year. “Benefit sanctions punish families who are already struggling to get by, and punish them by pushing them further into poverty,” Green Party social development Jan Logie said. “These are not the actions of a decent and compassionate government – benefit sanctions are punitive and...

Our kids are being repeatedly hospitalised because the Government refuses to take action to ensure our housing stock is up to scratch, the Green Party said today. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians president-elect said today that children with preventable respiratory illnesses are being re-admitted to hospital because they're being sent back to cold, damp homes. “While National has stood by as kids continue to pack out hospital waiting rooms, the Greens will introduce a comprehensive Warrant of Fitness for...

 

The Green Party today announced a plan to kick-start the green economy, create jobs in the clean technology and infrastructure sectors, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. “The Green Investment Fund will be the Kiwibank of the clean economy, kick-starting our transition to a carbon neutral economy by 2050,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “New Zealand needs to jump on board the global response to climate change and get a piece of the economic action, instead of letting it...

The National Government has said it is open to disposing of conservation land to encourage mining on the West Coast and building a road through Kahurangi National Park, the Green Party said today. Today the Government released its West Coast Economic Development Action Plan, which included:          Identifying ‘low value’ conservation stewardship land that could be disposed of.          Streamlining mining consent processes to reduce Department of Conservation input.          Preparing a strategic case for a road through Kahurangi National...